When was que viva filmed

Love to all of you ,. The recent shaking in the Cabinet here will help us rather than hurt us. The Soldadera story depends entirely upon Gen. Calles, who is in Cuernevaca, where he has been for several weeks.

Because of the political situation Cholita advises me not to take the matter of the Soldadera story up with the War Dept. In the meantime there is a little stuff that can be done in and around Mexico but Alexandrof is presumably getting up his financial report— which he has been working on for ten days—and cannot complete it without some data from Eis.

And Eis. I will do so in a few days. So Eis. Eis promised the financial report today. I have rented rooms in a middle class appt. A day or two ago he went to see a nerve specialist. I am going to force them to rush through the balance of the work. But Eis. Yesterday I collected from the Partido National the balance due us on their picture 2, So, we will not need money for some time.

I think he wanted that financial transaction to clinch his authority here. However thats a thing of the past. I am having our customs broker here make an investigation regarding the opening of our negatives, enroute to Calif. He nor Eis nor Alex, know where the boxes were opened or if they were opened at all. Or, they may have been opened enroute from N. I had taken every precaution and dont think the boxes were opened. Tisse thinks the American Customs in El Paso opened one box out of every shipment, under a red light as is usually done with ordinary negative.

But our panchromatic negative must be opened under a green light. Do not open in daylight. But I dont think the boxes were opened in El Paso. You might telephone your customs friend in L. Or if they must open it, use a blue light. The shipment cannot leave here until tomorrow, Saturday, night. Alex, delayed giving me the necessary report until yesterday. He said Eis. The censor and I worked on it yesterday and will complete it and go through Gobernacion today.

Will advise you later. The new minister of Gobernacion, who took office yesterday, was Chief of the Presidential Staff when we took pictures of the President. So he is friendly. Tellez, who was Minister of Gobernacion until yesterday had a bill introduced in Congress to eliminate all censorship of all motion pictures made in Mexico. The bill has not been passed yet. Tellez did that as a national policy. Having been ambassador in Washington for years he is cosmopolitan and liberal.

I dont think it was a concession to Eisenstein. The large shipment of positives which you were expecting has never been made. Yesterday I put men at work crating them and expect to ship them at once. I had to go through Relaciones to get their release from Customs where they have been held since they were censored last summer.

Also had to get a release from Gobernacion. That is all attended to now. The weather is beautiful. Will write more later. Tell Sister not to worry so much over the legal aspects of Eis. It is unnecessary. Your telegram instructing me to make arrangements for immediate return of party to California received this morning. At nine-twenty I went to Eisensteins room to discuss the matter. He was asleep and told me to come back in an hour or so. Alexandrof was asleep also but I went to his room and had a talk with him but did not mention your telegram.

A few days ago Alexandrof and I made an agreement to continue production under my management; I conceeding to him the promise that in the Garabay matter I would not repudiate Alexandrofs contract provided he and Eis would immediately continue production under my management.

He was very happy to continue production on that basis and said that the Garabay matter was the only thing that had been holding us up and that now every thing was alright. He later told me he had discussed the matter with Eis. They repeatedly tell me that they want to continue production.

Three days ago Eisenstein told me he thought he would be well enough to go to Amecameca this next Wednesday morning to complete the work there. He asked that Alex and I go there Tuesday morning and make preliminary arrangements and he would come the next day with Tisse.

So, Alexandrof and I are planning to go there Tuesday. On Monday, tomorrow, I expect to see the War Dept. Then after the boys get started in Amecameca I intend to work out arrangements for the soldadera story. So far no arrangements have been made in this connection except to get the promise from the war department for certain equipment.

I think the story can be filmed very cheaply and I am confident Eis will be glad to work with me now. For a time I let them think that, for certain justifiable reasons.

But I told you I would do nothing rash and you may be sure I would not get them into court in a case in which your letters would be involved. If you will let me handle this end of the work I will do it to your complete satisfaction. No work has been done during the two weeks I have been here because about four days after I arrived Eis went under medical treatment on account of his teeth. I will wire you later in the day that I think we should continue by all means. Love to Sister. On January 11th, present year, I returned to Mexico from the United States to resume my duties as business Manager of the motion-picture production which you are presently making for the Mexican Picture Trust.

Upon my arrival I presented you, at your demand, proper credentials authorizing me to act in the afore-said capacity. At the same time I assured you and your assistant, G. Alexandrof, and your camera-man, E. I emphatically assured you that I was willing and intended to dedicate my entire time and ability to the end of successfully completing the production in which we are engaged, to the total exclusion of my personal pride, pleasures or inclinations.

I assured you that I would not interfere with the artistic phases of the production except where those artistic matters conflicted with the business of the production, which business procedure I might consider to the best interest of the Trust and those who own it.

I promised you that at such times I would use the utmost discretion and, with your cooperation, would try to make decisions beneficial to the Trust. Upon my arrival here I asked you and Alexandrof for a detailed schedule of uncompleted work necessary for the completion of the production.

I explained that we would together reduce this schedule; that at times when we could not agree I would expect you to accept my decision. A part of this schedule was given to me only after many days of repeated requests upon my part. You referred me to Alexandrof for the schedule and after days of delay he explained that he was unable to complete the schedule without your help and that because of your illness you were unable to attend to business.

To date I have not received the financial schedule which I asked for upon my arrival here. Alexandrof explained to me that he was unable to carry on production without your presence, excepting to make scenes of a factory near here which would require one days work, and a church or architectural scenes which would require one day.

It is not agreeable to the owner of the factory that we make scenes there at the present time and as for the church or architectural plans were made to do that work several days ago but Tisse stated that his camera needed repairing.

This morning I had a long talk with you during which I asked if you were willing to continue production under my management. You states that you would not answer that question as you did not feel called upon to do so. For various reasons I hereby advise you to consider the work in connection with the picture which remains uncompleted in Mexico as at an end and ask that you prepare to leave for the United States, in company with your assistant and camera-man, at the earliest possible time: to bring with you all equipment belonging to aforesaid Trust; which equipment I expect you to turn over to me immediately upon arrival in the United States.

In answer to your letter of today and according to your statement that we dispose of all objective means to continue production, I consider that the drastic measure you are taking in stopping production, is due to the last paragraph of the letter referring to our discussion of this morning.

And so, as I understand the whole existence of the picture and the possible loss of all the invested money for I do not consider the stuff decently marketable if we stop at the actual moment seems to depend entirely on the clearing of the misunderstanding between us.

In view of these facts I consider it my duty as well as yours to find any solution under which production could be continued and do the utmost to bring the picture towards completion.

In the above letter Eisenstein mentions a letter I wrote him. I enclose that letter. Before I would resume production I would make him write me a letter containing more specific conditions under which we would work. I hereby state that in my presence, as lawyer of the company, Mexican Picture Trust, and without the request of any other person, Mr. Sergio M. Eisenstein, that it is his wish to withdraw all or any words that could be construed to be offensive to Mr. Hunter S. For this purpose Mr.

Eisenstein retracts all statements and words that might hurt the character or reputation of Mr. Kimbrough, during all the time they have worked together in Mexico. As a further satisfaction to Mr. Kimbrough and a better understanding to make matters clearer to everyone in his future articles Mr.

Eisenstein apologizes to Mr. Kimbrough for his former attitude. As witness to that act are the signatures of G. Alexandroff and E. Mexico, D. January 25, At first, despite the chorus of entreaties to resume the filming, Sinclair remained adamant. Absolutely necessary come. Kimbrough, duly authorized representative of the aforesaid Trust, who hereafter will be known as party of the first part, enter into agreement with Serge M.

Eisenstein, hereafter known as party of the second part, as follows:. Eisenstein, with his assistant and cameraman will immediately begin production of certain motion picture scenes, which will be made in Amecameca, Puebla, and other localities in central Mexico, which scenes are to complete certain episodes in the motion-picture presently known as Viva Mexico which Eisenstein is directing in Mexico.

That Eisenstein and his party will not continue production for more than ten days unless by mutual agreement, in writing, between himself and party of first part. That the cost of this production will not exceed one thousand dollars, United States Currency. That Eisenstein agrees to eliminate forever that part of the scenario, or story, upon which the picture Viva Mexico is based, commonly known as the Soldadera Story.

That Eisenstein and his party will work continuously during the aforesaid ten days, in the manner specified above, and under the direction of the party of the first part of this agreement. That it is understood that by mutual consent of the two aforesaid parties this agreement may be amended to extend the time mentioned above in order to make certain scenes which will be used for that part of the scenario, or story, known as Soldadera. But that the above mentioned ten days production will be made on the basis of the Soldadera Story being forever eliminated from the scenario or story.

It is understood that Eisenstein is desirous of including the Soldadera story, in whole or part, in the belief that it would add greatly to the market value of the picture. Director Business Manager:. Witness: Witness:. It seems to be your fate that I should be heaping my despair upon you!

In my Paramount days and after—but this time is the most desperate of all! If he does I may be as doomed in your eyes as I am in his. However, this is the situation:. I am blamed for all sin committed and I accept it, under the condition that from now on I myself should be responsible, but not Mr.

Or we three: I, Alexandrov and Tisse, should manage the whole thing until its completion. But I am facing a situation which, so far, had been completely unknown to me: blood relationship and family ties. He presented me to Sinclair as a liar, blackmailer and Godknows-what else. My direct correspondence with Sinclair stopped, our only contact was through Kimbrough who, an ambitious man, poisons our existence and creates an atmosphere in which it is impossible to work.

I wrote this to Sinclair, whereupon he abruptly halted our work of thirteen months. The last part of my film, containing all the elements of a fifth act, is ruthlessly ripped out, and you know what this means.

We saved this episode, the best material, story and effects, which have not been exploited before, as a climax and the last to be filmed. It tells the story of the Soldadera , the women who, in hundreds, followed the Revolutionary army, taking care of their men, bearing them children, fighting at their side, burying them and taking care of the survivors.

The incomparable drama and pathos of this sequence shows the birth of the new country. Exploited and suppressed by the Spaniards, it emerges as a free Mexico. Without this sequence the film loses its meaning, unity and its final dramatic impact: it becomes a display of unintegrated episodes. Each of these episodes now points toward this end and this resolution. Now to our practical achievements: We have soldiers, which the Mexican Army has given us for 30 days, 10, guns and 50 cannons, all for nothing.

We have discovered an incredible location and have brilliantly solved the whole event in our scenario. We show their march into Mexico City—the Spanish Cathedral—the palaces! For the meeting of Villa and Zapata we will have thousands of sports organizations—again without pay—with the cathedral bells ringing the victory of the first revolution.

I have exhausted by powers of persuasion. I shall do everything he wants. I accept Kimbrough, everything, anything I have worked under most incredible harassment, no, not worked—fought. When I see you in Hollywood I will tell you what we had to go through and what probably is still ahead of us.

I myself am incapable of persuading these people. Zalka, you have already helped in this cause. We, all three of us, are convinced that this is our best film and that it must not be destroyed. I beg you, Zalka, go to Sinclair.

As you were authorized to see all the rushes, he will certainly use the occasion to pour out to you everything which caused the present situation; or better, you could ask him and I am sure influence him. A film is not a sausage which tastes the same if you eat three-quarters of it or the whole Wurst. The situation is different now.

I have an ironclad plan. I know the locations precisely; General Calles has promised us all the facilities: those are concrete things! And we are now familiar with conditions here and know exactly how to handle the production. Use your Medea flame and convince him but especially her to let us finish our film. We were due to leave but Kimbrough postponed our departure for ten days, to clean up odds and ends of what we have shot. Our only hope is that meanwhile a miracle will happen and that the Soldadera episode will be filmed.

Help us, Zalka! No, not us, help our work, save it from mutilation! If they have no money, ask for their consent to let us get it elsewhere.

It seems incredible that this amount could not be raised as business. Even here the money could be found, not from philanthropists, but from businessmen, but the Sinclairs are so frightened of businessmen that they prefer to destroy all that they now have. Wire immediately that you have received this letter and that you take our cause to your heart, regardless of what they tell you about me. One does not write such letters often. Your ,. Today I wired you that Eisenstein was working in Amecameca.

After your wire yesterday authorizing us to continue for ten days I wrote a contract with Eisenstein containing the provisions contained in your telegram, and more.

Then we worked very fast making arrangements to go to Amecameca early this morning. They are working furiously, trying to complete the work in ten days. They can do it. They have changed completely; we are very friendly now and all working to complete the picture.

You did a very wise thing by granting the extension. If they finish the proposed ten days work in ten days, I advise that you let us do some of the Soldadera story, if we have the men and equipment from the War Dept.

The ten days work we are doing now will not cost more than six or seven hundred dollars, I think. I certainly think we should take advantage of the war departments offer and make some sort of climax for the picture, provided Eisenstein behaves properly during the next ten days. I am sure he will. But he insisted upon telling me that he could cut out the most expensive scenes and reduce the time to fifteen days and still get sufficient material for the climax, thereby giving us a great picture.

I could make him cut the time to ten days and still get enough revolution material. I will let you know more about this when I have talked with the War Department tomorrow. I am watching details very closely and am sure that I am advising you correctly.

Take my advice and I think all of the confusion which we anticipate in Hollywood will be eliminated. As soon as I can have a copy of the new contract with Eisenstein made I will send it to you. It has a stronger moral effect than legal. The weather is fine and I am cutting expenses to a minimum. Please dont worry anymore but forget the picture for awhile and let me handle it.

I repeat that Eisenstein is in no mood or condition for trouble; everything will run smoothly from now on. I will write you tomorrow. Love to sister. Schedule: 3 days Amecameca. Until 1 February, harmony seemed to have returned to the Mexican party. Filming had resumed, and good progress was being made towards completion of the ten-day schedule.

Though Sinclair did not immediately recognize it as such, this was the prelude to ominous news. The cable to Moscow was actually one of several devices employed by Eisenstein in an effort to delay or avoid returning from Mexico.

The motives behind these desperate and doomed efforts to remain in Mexico were complex. Of course, Eisenstein desired the completion of the Mexican film— uncompromisingly in accordance with his own concepts—but not entirely as a great artistic achievement. The film had also to justify his prolonged absence from Russia, to re-establish his prestige and authority in the newlyoriented Soviet film industry.

Eisenstein also saw the picture as a challenge to the independent film-maker—to complete a major work in his own way in spite of all the obstructions and financial difficulties imposed by others. From this standpoint, Kimbrough and Sinclair were merely inevitable problems that the resourceful and uncompromising film-maker would successfully overcome.

Indeed, without them there would be no effective challenge. Eisenstein was doubtless aware that Stalinist purges were proceeding in Russia, and perhaps had reason to fear the consequences of his return. On the other hand, if he was apprehensive about the Soviet Union, he had in the interim fallen in love with Mexico.

Eisenstein was employed in a capitalist venture; he was associating with reactionaries, Trotskyites, and other enemies of the Soviet Union. He was getting used to a great deal of independence, and if he succeeded in completing his Mexican film his prestige would be enormous, and there would probably be reactions in his favor within the Soviet film industry. At the time, Sinclair could have had few, if any, glimmerings of the wheels within wheels that were grinding his costly investment to pieces.

He found the Soviet attitude inexplicable because he was unaware of the shifts of power that were transforming the Soviet film industry.

But from the superficial evidence at his disposal, he thought he had caught the measure of Eisenstein—as indicated in the letter to Ernest Greene, 26 February Enclosed are copies of documents in connection with the shipment on Feb. Shipment was delayed to await the first of February when the new censorship law became effective. The shipment was made on the 3rd. It was better to delay shipment and eliminate complications at the border. The new law passed the Congress about two weeks ago.

I do not know the cause of the difference between yours and our figures. But you may be sure that all negative received by us has gone on to Los Angeles. Our ten day schedule is completed but on Saturday, tomorrow, we are having a group of special types work in the bull-ring; Eisenstein wants personal reactions, close-ups, of typical Mexican types during a bull fight.

That will end the work here unless you grant us an extension of three weeks to do the soldadera story. Unless something terrible has happened in California you should let us finish the picture. Alexandrof just told me about the telegram from Bogdanov concerning their standing in Russia is cleared up, according to the telegram. He says Bogdanov suggests that Alexandrov stay in Mexico and finish the picture while Eisenstein goes on to Russia.

But he thinks it is necessary for both of them to remain here and says they will do it, that they can arrange it with Bogdanov, if we will consent to go ahead with the production. Alexandrov says they can cut and synchronize the picture in Hollywood in thirty days. We have been working under a terrible pressure for the past ten days, which accounts for my not having communicated with you regularly.

About four or five hours sleep every night for the past four or five nights. We are all very tired. It has been necessary to go to cabarets at night to get boys and girls for the work and to stay up late to arrange costumes, etc.

Will write again soon and will telegraph you tonight. Eisenstein lost no time in implementing his schemes for remaining in Mexico. He says the Govt, expects us to do it. That same day, in a letter to Roger Rush, Sinclair remarked that he expected Eisenstein and company back in California by 13 February. All went well until, on 17 February, they reached Laredo, a Texan border town, where American Immigration officials refused to recognize the validity of passports issued to Eisenstein and his associates by the U.

Consul in Mexico City. On this pretext, the three Russians were refused admission to the United States. Certainly Eisenstein had anti-Soviet enemies, such as Major Pease, who would have campaigned actively to prevent his readmission to the U. Curiously, this was only a day after Sinclair had mentioned to Greene that he had information that Eisenstein wanted to cut the Mexican picture in Moscow.

The information probably came from Kimbrough, who had waited with the three Russians, at Laredo, until 24 February, when Sinclair called him to California to report on the situation. Immigration authorities at Washington have been asked to permit the readmittance to this country of Sergei M.

Eisenstein, Russian film director. Eisenstein and two Russian assistants were stopped at the Mexican border by American immigration officials here. The officials declined to reveal why Eisenstein was halted. However, Hunter S. He said Eisenstein was in good standing with both the Mexican and American governments. New York Sun. Kimbrough said they wanted to return to this country to cut and synchronize the film. Dispatches from Mexico City said the Russian and three members of his motion picture troupe were investigated in December, , on charges of being Communist propagandists, but were cleared of suspicion.

The Houston Chronicle. Report of Progress of Picture Production. February 13, A telegram from Hunter Kimbrough yesterday, stated that the expedition was leaving Mexico City enroute to Hollywood. They are motoring via Laredo, Texas, as they have two cars which they used in Mexico and will use in Hollywood. They should arrive about the 21st. During the period of a month when he was permitted to control matters himself, he completed only one episode, and left two others unfinished, while he shot fiestas and other incidentals.

When Hunter Kimbrough returned and attempted to enforce economies, he made so much fuss that the situation became intolerable. So we decided to order an immediate return. I do not think that anyone, seeing the picture, will miss the Soldadera Story. After the picture has been cut and marketed to the distributors, they will be at liberty to send Eisenstein back to do this episode if they and he care to do so. We have given Eisenstein fifteen months of our time where we agreed to give him a maximum of six months, so we think we have done our part by him.

A telegram from Laredo informs us of the arrival there of another shipment, and this should be here next Tuesday. We assume that Eisenstein will start the work of cutting as soon as he reaches Hollywood. We will rent a house for the party and arrange for a cutting-room. Another point which should be mentioned: Soyuzkino, in Moscow, became indignant concerning the long delay, and decided that Eisenstein did not intend to return to the Soviet Union.

We could have held Amkino to the agreement, as it was a perfectly valid contract, but we did not care even to threaten legal proceedings against a Soviet organization. After Amkino had forwarded our protests to Moscow without result, we consented to the canceling of the contract, and one of our investors has agreed to put in additional money if it is needed.

But we do not think the extra amount needed will be large, because we hope that the synchronization will be done by the distributors, and that the picture can be successfully marketed when the cutting and assembling is completed. We assume that the cutting should take from one to two months. Maruja Grifell Rumbera as Rumbera uncredited. Grigoriy Aleksandrov Sergei M.

More like this. Watch options. Storyline Edit. Not Rated. Add content advisory. Did you know Edit. Trivia This record only represents the ,plus feet of unedited film that Sergei M. It was Eisenstein's vision to end up with movie about Mexico in six parts called "Calavera", "Sandunga", "Maguey", "Fiesta", "Soldadera", and "Epilogue". The project was canceled before it was completed due to cost overruns and months-delayed completion, and the producers refused to let Eisenstein attempt to edit anything from the material he had finished after Joseph Stalin called him back to the USSR.

Goofs The writer of this production did not know Spanish well. The title should be! Connections Edited into Thunder Over Mexico Labeling problem Wrong title or summary, or episode out of order Video Problem Blurry, cuts out, or looks strange in some way Sound Problem Hard to hear, not matched with video, or missing in some parts Subtitles or captions problem Missing, hard to read, not matched with sound, misspellings, or poor translations Buffering or connection problem Frequent rebuffering, playback won't start, or other problem.

Not Rated. Documentary Free History. Info Cast Links. IMDb Rating 7. TMDb Rating 7.